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(Last Modified On 10/17/2013)
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(Last Modified On 10/17/2013)
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Genus
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MARILA Swartz
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Contributor
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Will McDearman and Sidney McDaniel
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PlaceOfPublication
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Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ. 84. 1788.
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Note
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TYPE: M. racemosa Swartz.
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Description
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Shrubs or trees, the twigs laterally compressed, the plane of compression often decussate from successive nodes, with white, brown, yellow, or clear latex. Leaves evergreen, opposite, simple, entire, glabrous or variously pubescent, co- riaceous or nearly so, nerves impressed above, raised beneath, with more or less parallel secondary veins connecting the lateral, petiolate, estipulate. Inflores- cences racemose or paniculate, axillary at mostly defoliated nodes or rarely ter- minal; pedicels subtended by 3 minute bracts. Flowers bisexual or unisexual, 4- 5-merous; sepals in two series, usually differing in shape, texture and vestiture, persistent in fruit; petals membranous, fugaceous; stamens numerous, the fila- ments free, anthers linear, longitudinally dehiscent with a tubular, rotate or fili- form appendage at the end of the connective; ovary 3-5-celled, ovules numerous in each locule, attached to an axile placenta, the style simple, the stigma conical or nearly so. Fruit a septicidal capsule, in dehiscence the valves often twisting and revealing the papyraceous column; seeds minute, elliptic-oblong, comose at both ends.
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Habit
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Shrubs or trees
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Note
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Marila is a distinctive genus of about 20 species of the neotropics, mostly of moderate to high rainfall areas, from Guatemala and the Antilles to Bolivia. It is questionable that the genus actually belongs in the Guttiferae, and it would prob- ably be better placed in the Bonnetiaceae. The genus is in need of a revision, though the species appear to be well marked. Many specimens of various species from Panama have been determined as Marila macrophylla Benth., which is not known to occur there. This species may be distinguished by the thicker pedicels (to 4 mm wide at base) and larger flowers.
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Distribution
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Guatemala and the Antilles to Bolivia.
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Key
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a. Leaves with 25-38 pairs of primary veins; anther appendage tubular to rotate. b. Rachis of inflorescence with numerous, stalked, stellate trichomes, the surface reddish-brown; pedicels 4-7 mm long ...... 2. M. lactogena bb. Rachis of inflorescence with mostly sessile, rarely stalked, stellate trichomes, the surface yellow-brown; pedicels 11-12 mm long ...... 4. M. pluricostata aa. Leaves with 6-17 pairs of primary veins; anther appendage filiform. c. Lower surface of leaves with conspicuous punctate glands; pedicels 1-2 mm thick at base; capsules 4-7 cm long ...... 3. M. laxiflora cc. Lower surface of leaves without punctate glands; pedicels 0.5-1 mm thick at base; capsules 1-.2-2.5 cm long ...... 1. M. domingensis
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